Brake and track-sanding mechanism.



No. 813,691. PATENTED FEB. 27, 1906.

M. A. DB FRANCE.

BRAKE AND TRACK SANDING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 7. 1905.

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Q o Q I m a uvenl oz witnesses M iF IGJCC No. 813,691. PATENTED FEB. 2'7, 1906.

M. A. .DE FRANCE.

BRAKE AND TRACK SAN-DING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 7, 1905.

3 SHEE'I'fi-SHEET 2.

gnuenfoc No. 813,691; PATENTED FEB. 27, 1906. M. A. DE FRANCE. BRAKE AND TRACK SANDING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 7, 1905.

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MURRY A. DE FRANCE, OF NEWARK, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO ALBERT H. SISSON, ONE-FOURTH TO CHARLES E. KREBS, AND ONE- FOURTH TO W. BERNARD VVINGERTER, OF NEWARK, OHIO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 27, 1906.

Application filed September 7, 1905. Serial No. 277,3 78.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MURRY A. DE FRANCE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Licking and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and-useful Improvements in Brakes and Track-Sanding Mechanism, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention has relation to track-sanding mechanism of the type utilizing an airblast for positively forcing the sand to the track, in connection with brake mechanism such as used ordinarily upon street and suburban cars.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention the track-sanding mechanism includes improved means for supplying air to the sand-box to eject the sand therefrom and governed by a suitable air-valve, and the sanding mechanism is so combined with an air-brake that the air-brake lever, which op erates the air-brake valve, is adapted to operate the air-valve of the sanding mechanism, whereby when the air-brake is applied in an emergencyto quickly stop the car the airvalve of the track-sander may be simultaneously operated, thereby applying the sand to the track and increasing the traction between the wheels and rails to such an extent as to stop the car much more quickly than would be the case if the air-brake alone were used.

A further feature of the invention resides in the construction of the mechanisms by which the air-brake-operating means may be actuated independently of the sanding mechanism and whereby the sanding mechanism itself may also be operated independently of the brake mechanism, and that, too, without necessitating moving of the motormans hand from the air-brake-operating lever usually provided, and a further feature of the invention resides in the improved construction of a mechanism of the character above described which may be applied to the stand ard forms of sanding and brake mechanisms now in use without any material change in the latter.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means for effecting the result reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of one of the end platforms of a car, showing the invention as when applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of that mechanism included in the invention alone, bringing out clearly the connections of the various pipes and parts. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the invention. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the air-valve lever of the track-sanding mechanism and the bracket supporting the same. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 4:. Fig. 6 is a modified construction of the parts shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 shows an electric controller and hand-brake such as ordinarily in use, but not forming a part of the invention and having no cooperation therewith. The air-brake-valve lever is denoted 1 and controls the operation of the brake mechanism in the customary way, said lever 1 being moved horizontally in applying and releasing the brakes. The lever 1 is con nected with the engineers valve arranged in a suitable valve-casing 2, and a reservoir-pipe 3 leads to the valve-casing 2, as well as to the train-line pipe 4 and the exhaust-pipe 5, the above parts comprising mainly the operating mechanism for the air-brake which is included in the invention, the parts set forth being connected up with the brake mechanism in the usual way, the motorman grasping the lever 1 in operating the brake mechanism. The sanding mechanism for the track involves the use of a sand-box 6, from the bottom of which leads off a sand-pipe 7, the latter being branched, as shown at 8 in Fig. 3, the branched portions 8 terminating adj acent the wheels of the car to supply the sand directly to the rails in the well-known manner. An air-blast pipe 9 is in communication with the sand-pipe 7 a branch 9 of the pipe 9 leading to the sand -boX directly to supply air thereto. A valve 10 in the length of the pipe 9 governs the supply of air by means of said pipe for ejecting the sand through the sand-pipe 7, said valve 10 being provided with a suitable valve-stem11, ex tending upwardly therefrom. Normally the valve 10 is closed to out off the air-blast from the pipe 7, and said pipe 10 is adapted for operation by means of a valve-lever 12, which lever 12 is of semicircular form approxi mately, being pivoted at its ends to lugs projecting from vertical arms 13 of a bracket 14, which is attached to the front of the car adjacent to the lever 1 and easing 2. The airvalve lever 12 of the sanding mechanism is removably mounted 011 the bracket 14, one end of the lever 12 being received in an open ing in one of the arms 13 of the bracket, while the other end is disposed in a horizontal slot 15 in the other arm of the bracket and retained in said slot by means of a spring 16. The lever 12 is mounted entirely independently and distinct from the engineers brakevalve lever 1 and extends in a plane parallel with the plane of movement of said lever 1 and through the complete traverse of said lever 1, whereby it may be operated by the motormans or engineers hand as it rests upon the lever 1 in any position of the latter, whether it be in the service, release, onlap, or running position, and at the same time the said position and arrangement of the lever 12 will interfere in no wise with the independent operation of the brake-valve lever 1. A lug 17 projects from the lever 12 over the upper end of the valve-stem 11, said lever 12 being supported in an upright posi tion by the valve-stem engaging the under side of the lug 17. Near the end of the lever 12 opposite that having the lug 17 is formed a cam 18, which is adapted to be engaged by the lever 1 as the latter is operated in one direction, so as to cause the lever 12 to be forced downwardly, actuating the stem 11 and opening the valve 10 to permit the airblast to be delivered to the pipe 7 through the blast-pipe 9.

It will be understood that the sanding mechanism, as regards the specific means employed, may be of any suitable type properly connected for operation, as specified, by the brake-operating mechanism. In actual operation it will be noted that the motorman grasping the lever 1 can readily turn the lever to the right in the emergency position, and it will engage the cam 18 in its movement, depress the lever 12 and the valve-stem 11, thereby opening the valve 10 and causing the sand to be applied to the rails simultaneously as the brakes are applied. The increase in the traction between the wheels and the rails necessarily facilitates the stopping of the car much more quickly than could be accomplished by the use of the brake mechanism alone. Further, the lever 1 is adapted to make the service application and to release the brakes by movement which will not cause the same to engage with the cam 18, and for this reason the brake mechanism is operable entirely independent of the sanding mechanism, except when the brake-lever is turned to the emergency position. Again,

the hand of the motorman grasping the lever 1 is so located that without taking said hand from said lever he can depress the lever 12 with his finger and open the valve 10, operating the lever 12 independently of the lever 1 and, broadly, operating the sanding mechanism independently of the brake mechanism.

In Fig. 6 the lever 12 is provided with the cam 18 in the same position as described hereinbefore and with a second cam 19 near the opposite end portion of the lever. This construction will admit of operation of the lever 12 by the lever 1, when the latter is turned in the emergency position, or to the extreme right, with the result hereinbefore described, and when the lever 1 is thrown to the left the same is adapted to actuate the sand-blast on full release of the brake mechanism, permitting the sand to be applied to the tracks when the car starts, as well as when the same is stopped, in a manner hereinbefore set forth.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. The combination with track-sanding apparatus and air-brake apparatus, the latter including a brake-valve-actuating handle and the former including a fluidpressure valve, of a lever mounted independently of said handle and extending contiguous thereto, in the service, running," and onlap positions of said handle, in a plane parallel with the movement of said handle and so formed that the hand of the brakeman holds a constant relation to it in the arc of its movement, said lever being desi ned to actuate the fluid-pressure valve an being provided with a swell in the path of movement of the handle at the emergency position.

2. The combination with track-sanding mechanism provided with a fluid-pressure valve, and air-brake mechanism including a brake-lever and handle for actuating the same, of a lever mounted independently of said handle and extending contiguous thereto in a plane parallel with the plane of movement of said handle and through the traverse of the same, said lever being designed to actuate said valve and being provided at each end with a swell extending in the path of movement of said handle and designed to contact therewith in the emergency and release positions of the same.

3. The combination with a track-sanding apparatus including a fluid-pressure valve and an airebrake mechanism including a brake-valve and handle for actuating the same, of a bracket designed to be supported adjacent said handle and independently thereof, and a lever fulcrumed in said bracket at its end and consisting of a curved bar extending from end to end throughout the traverse of said handle and contiguous thereto and in a plane parallel to the plane of movement of said handle, said lever being provided with a projection or lug extending over said fluid-pressure valve, as and for the purpose setforth.

4. The combination with track-sanding mechanism including a fluid-pressure valve and air-brake mechanism including a brakevalve and handle for actuating the same, of a bracket mounted adjacent said handle, and a lever consisting of a curved bar detachably mounted at its ends in said bracket. and extending independently of the handle contiguous thereto and in a plane parallel to the plane of movement thereof, said lever being provided at one end with a lug extending over said fluid-pressure Valve and designed I 5 to actuate the same and being provided near its other end with a swell extending in the path of movement of said handle in the emergency position thereof, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MURRY A. DE FRANCE. Witnesses:

- W. A. IRVINE,

JOHN GRIFFITH. 

